July 2026 Herb of the Month: Chaste Tree

Chaste tree, or Monk Berry, has a long history of use throughout the Mediterranean that goes back thousands of years. It was named “Agnos,” meaning pure and chaste in Greek, indicating that it was considered holy and sacred. It was later considered an anaphrodisiac (a substance that suppresses sexual desire), which has since been discredited. Because chaste tree is native to Greece and Italy, it has a well-documented history of use with ancient healers. Pliny the Elder even wrote about it. He said that the Greeks called it agnos because the “Athenian matrons, preserving their chastity at the Thesmophoria, strew their beds with its leaves.” In fact, this may be where the anaphrodisiac label came from. Dioscorides wrote that these “matrons” would place “foul-smelling” chaste tree branches and branches in and around their beds to deter men. 

Common name: Chaste Tree

Latin name: Vitex agnus-castus

Part Used: Fruit and leaves

Properties: Diaphoretic (stimulates perspiration), Dopaminergic agonist (mimics natural dopamine), Ovulation stimulant/tonic, Estrogenic, Immunomodulation, and Antioxidant

Taste: Pungent, acrid, bitter

Energetics: warming and drying

History

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans

In addition to being used in herbal medicine, chaste tree was also used by the ancients in the art of furniture making. Its flexible branches bent like willows, making it ideal for weaving. Pliny the Elder wrote of its seeds, saying they tasted like wine when made into a drink, which was then taken to reduce fevers and to stimulate perspiration. As a bitter substance, it was effectively used to promote menstruation. Bitters work to move down and out through the body. So, as an herb with an affinity for the reproductive organs, chaste tree was used to “purge the uterus” when a monthly cycle proved stubborn. Additionally, its seeds were ingested to dispel flatulence, promote urination, and curb diarrhea as well as edema (again, bitters often work down and out!).

Middle Ages 

The development and continuation of herbalism hit a plateau during the Middle Ages (100-900 CE), with most medical works simply being reprints of ancient herbalists’ works. However, around 850 CE, new and novel medical ideas began to flourish in Persia. This time was called the “Golden Age of Arabic science.” At this time, chaste tree was being used to “cure insanity” and as a “calming agent in hysteria.”

As the Renaissance swept across Europe, European herbalism flourished, coinciding with the invention of the printing press. In some of the earliest European herbal texts, chaste tree was documented to “keep men and women chaste,” and if drunk with fennel seed, “it will destroy the dropsy” (edema). It was later written to guard against “pain and inflammations of the uterus.” 

From the 1700s to the mid-1900s, chaste tree lost popularity in official European medical texts and was rarely mentioned. However, it was still used throughout folk medicine (predominantly a female trade. In folk medicine, it was used for balancing female hormones and for stimulating a mother’s milk flow. 

Benefits

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and PMDD: 

Studies show that chaste tree may help support healthy hormone levels. These hormones include prolactin, progesterone, and estradiol, leading to a decrease in PMS symptoms. Herbalists often recommend chaste tree for those who experience bloating, breast tenderness, and hormone-related headaches before their cycle. Additionally, studies show that chaste tree may support healthy communication between hormones and neurotransmitters, helping to regulate mood. 

Fertility/Amenorrhea/PMOS

Chaste tree can increase progesterone levels while simultaneously reducing elevated prolactin and testosterone, which can lead to the restoration of menstruation in cases of amenorrhea, and therefore benefits fertility. Animal studies show that chaste tree works to normalize elevated testosterone levels, which are often found in cases of PMOS, and contributes to hirsutism (excess facial hair in women) and amenorrhea.

Other potential benefits:

• Hormonal Acne
• Ovarian Cysts
• Hot Flashes
• Improved Sleep

Emotional Aspects of Chaste Tree

Chaste tree works energetically by breaking up stagnant energies that may cause you to feel unfocused, stuck, or drained – think back to its use as a bitter element to move energy down and out of the body. Physically and energetically, chaste tree stimulates and supports healthy cycles and rhythms in our lives, encourages movement, and revitalizes energy levels. It also works to create balance and support harmony (similar to the way it works to balance hormones).